Last Stand for Magic: The Duellists
by Darth Gilthoron
Summary: All of Hogwarts school is out to fight a yet unknown opponent, in this struggle united with those who used to be their direst foes. Part 1: The Duellists' Quest WARNING: I wrote this as a little boy.
1. Good News

_Author's Note:  
This story was written two years ago and originally not for FanFiction, but for then nine-year-old Lizzy, the greatest HP fan I knew. Only now I divided it into chapters to put it up here, and this explains their stongly varying length.  
I thank my friends Bernhard and Stephanie for the invention of Witch Shudderstone the Great (originally Hexe Gruselstein) and part of her followers, for another part I thank my sister Mia. The whole Last Stand for Magic thing was a game we played with Lego, I merely translated the German names and gave the Shudderstones (Gruselsteiner) a more serious character._

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were just beginning to stir their Invisibility Draught when suddenly Hermione Granger came running. Not that they needed any potion of that sort - Harry still had his father's Invisibility Cloak with him - but Professor McGonagall, Captain of the Marauders troop, to which they both belonged, had told them to do it. Every student of the Marauders had been assigned some task for practising, only Hermione - of course her - had been chosen to assist their Captain. So why did she come back so early already?

"What's the matter, Hermione?" Ron wanted to know. "You weren't sacked, were you?"

"Of course not!" Hermione snorted indignantly. "You're only envious you didn't get my job!"

"Indeed", Ron growled. "I'm sure you know what's going on. Not even my parents are ready to tell me. But there are rumours about You-Know-Who attending the Wizard's Council! You-Know-Who! Just imagine! Nobody knows what's going on, if we're returning to school when the term starts, what we are doing in this place, wherever it might be, and so on. It must be something really important! And nobody tells us! Harry and I and some others are better off, at least, belonging to McGonagall's personal staff, but you... I'm sure the teachers told you..."

"Now stop it!" Hermione interrupted him a bit impatiently. "They don't tell me anything just as well. Only hints. And most of them don't make sense, anyhow. By the way, Harry, you can stop stirring now."

Ron muttered something like "Know-It-All" under his breath, but he and Harry left the cauldron to bubbling away. "So why have you come?" Harry asked.

"To tell you something you might be interested in", their friend said. "We'll have a little show this evening. They're going to present the Duellists."

"Wow!" Harry and Ron said together. There had been lots of rumours about that legendary scout troop as well, but nobody had known anything for certain until now, just that only witches and wizards of great willpower and with special duelling talents would be accepted for the hard training that finally would turn out some kind of Aurors, only for other situations. But which threats they were about to face nobody of the Hogwarts students knew. Most guessed that they had to be dreadful indeed.

"Who told you about it?" Harry asked. "McGonagall?"

"You'd never find out", Hermione smiled. "Snape himself."

"Him?" Ron was bewildered. "How did you talk him into that?"

"I didn't. He came to tell Professor McGonagall, and I overheard their conversation and thought you might be interested. I don't know how he knows about it. Probably Dumbledore sent him."

"You know what?" Ron meant. "That's the best thing happening since we arrived five days ago!"


	2. The Arena

In the evening they were all called to the old Quidditch pitch of the place in the middle of nowhere they were staying at (probably a refugium for paranoid Aurors like Mad-Eye Moody, as Ron's brothers Fred and George had guessed once). Harry, Ron and Hermione filed into the stands together with other students who belonged to the Marauders and got themselves a seat together with all the members of the Weasley family who were still attending Hogwarts and with Neville Longbottom, a very forgetful student from their class. The seats were far from comfortable, but then again, who cared? They were going to see the Duellists, already living legend, and they all were very excited about it.

Dumbledore entered the top box (or at least the thing which was intended to resemble a top box, but looked much more like an overgrown, cube-shaped pumpkin), and the buzzing noise of the crowd died down. At once, all eyes were fixed on him.

Taking a gigantic purple-coloured megaphone, one like Harry had seen Professor McGonagall using once in his second year at Hogwarts, Dumbledore stepped forward to the rail. "Welcome!" his voice boomed over the pitch. "As you all have heard, you are going to see the Duellists tonight, some of the best and bravest among us ("They must be all Gryffindors!" whispered Fred), and our biggest hope against the threat from outside - but I'll speak of that later. (At this point Neville turned rather pale.) To tell you the truth, we have aligned ourselves with the one who was until now our greatest enemy, and he has already agreed to take on responsibility for the Duellists, seeing the need for such an alliance as well as I do. As some of you might already have guessed, I am speaking of Lord Voldemort."

There was something like a general uproar of astonishment and fear from the stands. If Albus Dumbledore, one of the world's most renowned wizards, had to align himself with Lord Voldemort, generally called only You-Know-Who or He Who Must Not Be Named because most witches and wizards were too afraid of him to speak his name, the most evil Dark wizard ever, how hopeless the situation then must be, how great the danger for both of them, how great for every single student!

"Never give up hope", the headmaster of Hogwarts continued. "Together we will surely manage. But we must trust each other. I have got a proof of Voldemort's intention only he could give: He gave his life into my hands. The pressing need of this situation made him do it. Maybe you understand now how great the fear of us all is. But still, never give up. Where there is a will, there is a way. Always remember that."

Neville had shrunk into his chair, trembling, but he was not the only one. Most of the others at least looked somewhat sick. And Harry carefully touched his scar. Would he feel the burning again soon? Who would protect him now from the Dark Lord, if not Dumbledore?

"But let us speak of other things now", Dumbledore went on quite cheerfully. "Many of you can't await seeing the Duellists finally. They need not wait much longer now, for all three of them are waiting to appear." He looked down to the dark entrance of the changing rooms down in the pitch where now two figures clad in black were visible. The eyes of the audience followed his gaze. "You're nosy, you two", Dumbledore told them with a friendly smile. "Call your friend and prepare for the show. Ask the Coordinator to come up to the top box if he wants."

The two figures seemed to confer among themselves for a short time, then the shorter one of them, a person with a bit dishevelled light brown hair as far as Harry could see, turned and walked back in. Only a few seconds later, though, he reappeared and called up to Dumbledore: "He says he'll stay down with us, thank you very much!" To his astonishment, Harry found the voice oddly familiar, but he couldn't say where he had heard it. According to Hermione's expression, she was thinking about just the same.

A third figure, also dressed completely in black, but a bit taller than the other two, could be seen in the entrance. "They're coming!" Ron's voice was harsh with excitement. But they turned and stood facing the little room under the stands - and then Harry felt a sudden twinge of pain on his forehead, not really strong, but hard enough to be noticeable. What was going on? The mysterious Coordinator... Hadn't Dumbledore just said Voldemort was in charge of the Duellists? Harry shuddered at the thought of him being so near.

And then they marched out in a neat line into the broad daylight. They wore short black robes over a black shirt and trousers of the same colour, and their boots were black as well. At exactly the same moment they stopped facing Dumbledore, giving him exactly the same casual salute and then simultaneousley took out black sunglasses from their utility belts and put them on, again at the same time. ("Just imagine how long they've been training that!" George commented.) And then they just stood still, facing the entrance again, waiting for something to happen.

It happened nearly at once. Smoke and flame issued from it, and out strode a creature resembling a leopard, only much taller. "Oh no!" Hermione gasped. "A Nundu! The most dangerous beast of them all! Its poisonous breath can devastate an entire village and all life in it!" Ginny and Neville moaned audibly, but the three Duellists reacted at once. In one accord they raised their wands and cried something Harry couldn't understand, but when he saw a kind of silvery mist shooting out of the tips, he immediately knew they were performing the Patronus charm - only that he had never seen three wizards producing one Patronus together. It grew and grew, gained the shape of a gigantic serpent and then shot down at the menacing Nundu, who like thin fog dissolved into nothing. It had only been an extremely powerful illusion.

"Fantastic!" Fred roared. "Great!" George bellowed. And they were not the only ones. Many were clapping madly. "More! Show us more!" the twins' friend Lee Jordan, who was sitting nearby, shouted. Even Hermione seemed impressed.

Together the three Duellists moved back when suddenly and without a warning a snake glided out of the entrance, about twelve feet long and of a pale, silvery green, and stopped only a few steps away from them with nearly half of its arm-thick body bolt upright, swaying softly from side to side. Gasps and little shrieks could be heard from the audience, but then a taut silence spread over the stadium. Down on the pitch nobody moved except the snake in its eerie dance.

And then it attacked with a loud hiss. Its body flicked forward too fast to follow it with the eyes, but the three men in black were prepared. The one in the middle, the shortest of them, cast himself down upon his hands and knees while the other two stepped away to both sides. Over the kneeling Duellist shot the snake's shimmering body, much too fast in its obsession to attack, and while the Duellist with the light brown hair rolled over two times and came back to his feet, the snake flew right over him so that they had exchanged positions. The Duellist shifted into combat stance, twirling his wand between his fingers almost lazily, watching the dangerous creature, which was slithering over the ground before him nervously.

And what began then made Harry wish he had brought along his omnioculars. For man and animal started a kind of deadly dance, the Duellist retreating when the snake's deadly fangs shot towards his chest, stepping forward again when it had failed and tried to recover its position, irritating it with sparks springing from the tip of his wand when it wanted to attack again. After a while he seemed to be cornering it (which caused loud cheers from the spectators) and driving it towards his companions, who were watching without the slightest sign of fright. Harry couldn't really see what happened then, it happened just too fast, but suddenly the snake was thrown into the air and landed in front of the black-haired man who had emerged from the dark entrance first, while the brown-haired Duellist stepped back from his former opponent with an elegant bow. The witches and wizards in the stands applauded, and the Duellist saluted in the general direction of the top box with his still sparkling wand.

In the meantime his comrade had taken up the fight with the snake. His style to deal with it differed a bit from the other's, though; he seemed to be more offensive and drove the creature back with shining little blasts from his wand. He always jumped aside like a great lion whenever the snake's head shot at him. Finally he got rid of it in the same way as his comrade and let the last of them deal with it, retreating with the same elegant bow and the salute towards the cheering audience.

There was only one Duellist left now. He, too, suddenly seemed oddly familiar to Harry when he swept forward in quick strides to have his own little fight with the creature. The snake turned his head towards him and hastily glided towards him to meet him. Its head shot straight at him; Harry thought he could see the fangs gleam for a little moment - The Duellist side-stepped it, but he was a split second too late. The snake's jaws closed around his forearm. (A great groan from the audience.) With a violent tug he tried to free himself, but the creature wouldn't let him go. Like a whip its tail hit him and slung itself around him as he fell. At Harry's side Ron covered his eyes. Yet a Duellist was a Duellist, he wouldn't give up that fast. He forced his wand between the snake's jaws and blasted it away from him. Like an overgrown but very thin spinning-top, it flew through the air, turning around, and landed about ten feet away from the man. (A deep sigh of relieve from everywhere.) Seemingly unmoved the other two Duellists watched as their comrade approached his dangerous opponent again.

His way of fighting it was similar to the others, yet his moves were riskier, and his blasts were harder. Once more the snake managed to get hold of his arm, but this time he managed to free himself with a simple kick. "He's really brave!" Harry heard one of the twins whisper. "This one's a Gryffindor, for sure!" Without turning his eyes away from the pitch, Harry smiled.

Finally, after the last Duellist had saluted to the roaring spectators, they all crowded together again and sent the hissing snake back into the darkness of the dressing rooms entrance with a great blast from their wands. Everyone cheered. The three Duellists did a flip backwards at exactly the same time ("Wicked!" Ron gasped) and bowed to the many young witches and wizards shouting with delight.

After they had done some incredible stunts while levitating each other, had duelled a bit with Disapparating and then suddenly Apparating again behind their comrades' back and, in the end, nearly got trampled by a herd of stampeding Erumpents (also a powerful illusion, of course), they lined up neatly and bowed to Dumbledore.

"Very well", the Hogwarts headmaster said. "I believe you know every single person of those brave three, or don't you?" He waited until the unbelieving babbling had died down, and then went on: "But maybe you just can't recognize them this way. Let me introduce to you - Remus Lupin!"

The shortest of them stepped forward, bowing again, to thundering applause. "Him!" the twins shouted. "Good old Lupin!" "He's back!" yelled Ron. "The best teacher we ever had!" He, Harry, Hermione and Neville clapped madly.

"Next is - Sirius Black!" Dumbledore's voice rang out over the stadium while the second Duellist bowed.

Sirius! His own godfather! Harry started clapping even more wildly. His friends seemed to be proud on Sirius as well, but many others gave scared gasps as they stared down into the pitch. For twelve years Sirius had been in Azkaban for killing fourteen people - a crime he actually never had committed, but hardly anybody knew about this until now.

Again Dumbledore lifted up the megaphone. "And, last but not least, - Severus Snape!" With a quick stride, the tall Duellist, who had been thrown down by the snake, stepped forward to bow.

This was too much for Fred and George Weasley. "No! It can't be him!" they moaned. "Will you stop clapping immediately!" Ron hissed at Hermione. "Why?" she asked indignantly. "He's been very brave! I would have panicked if I had a snake winding around me!" Harry also didn't like the idea of his least favourite person at Hogwarts being hero-worshipped, but he didn't say anything. Yet he could see how many Slytherin students, among them Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, jumped up and down with joy their Head of House had been chosen. Many Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had complained when it had been announced the Head of Gryffindor would be set in charge of the Marauders while their Heads of House didn't get any command. But maybe Snape deserved it really. During Harry's first year at Hogwarts, he had saved the boy's life, and at the end of Harry's fourth year, he had volunteered to spy out Voldemort again, a thing he had done before already, at great personal risk, as Dumbledore had said.

"And now", Dumbledore went on, "let us greet our new ally. Allow me to present to you Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, he who once was my worst enemy."

Dead, awkward silence lay over the pitch like a heavy blanket as the man whose name most wizards dreaded to utter stepped into the broad sunlight and gave Dumbledore much the same salute as the Duellists just had given him. Wound around him lazily, resting its head on his shoulder, was the snake. He gave Sirius a casual pat on the back (Harry held his breath) and whispered something to him. Sirius nodded towards his comrades, and they all departed heading for the changing room, leaving the spectators in the stands holding their breaths, waiting for Dumbledore to explain everything.


	3. Changing Room Talk

"Good gods, I'm tired", Sirius sighed, slumping onto the bench and taking off his sunglasses.

"After that little bit of show", Severus commented contemptuouly, sitting down beside him.

"Not that, Fwooper-irritation-brains!" Sirius shot back at him. "I mean the mental feeling. Though I'm getting used to it now."

"Not an experience you can have every day, right", Remus agreed with a sarcastic smile. "Just imagine it were like that."

"Horrible. Wouldn't call that life." Sirius began to change to his normal clothes, and the others followed his example. "However, Sev, it was you who made the mistake, not me."

"I faced the greater risk with my tactics, that's all ", Severus growled. "Any problems with it, Dementor-food?"

"Now stop it!" Remus interrupted them. "All that bickering between you two, it's getting really childish. You can't even walk through a door without pushing each other through. We can't be enemies now when fighting a mighty opponent together, can't you see the point in it?"

Sirius shrugged, sighing. "As you wish, my friend. But what do we know about that strange folks, anyway?"

"Dumbledore's just telling the students. Shall we go out and listen?"

"Better not", Severus spoke up again. "I don't like the atmosphere out there now he's revealed himself. All that fear and insecureness in the air, you know."

"Right you are", Sirius sighed. "All we know is that their leader calls herself Great Witch Shudderstone or something like that. But what else?"

"Weren't you listening?" Severus said. "They're about twenty people at least, and they must be terribly powerful. Our scouts just panicked when they saw them. Have you ever heard something like that?"

"I fear we'll be promoted to scouts", Remus put in gloomily.

"I've been through worse, definitely." Sirius didn't like to remember the terrible Dementors of Azkaban, in whose custody he'd had to stay for the twelve darkest years of his life.

"Me too", Severus hinted darkly.

Remus laughed, but it was no happy laugh at all. "I seem to be joining a club of experienced heroes, then. Not afraid of a group of beings nobody yet was able to behold without fear, eh?"

"Talking of fear", Sirius said with a rather forced grin, "looking forward to our boggart practise tomorrow?"


	4. Prepared for Everything

The next afternoon Sirius joined Harry, Ron and Hermione when they came down to the beach for a walk. They still were discussing the strange and rather scary events of the day before and the things Dumbledore had told them. There was hardly any student who wasn't dicussing it all, and the camp seemed to buzz with excitement.

The Duellists had obviously been having a bath and now sat together under a few palm trees shading the edge of the sandy beach. Harry guessed they might be discussing just the same thing.

Ron wanted to go to another place when he saw them, owing to the fact that one of them was not only Harry's least favourite teacher, but Srius had seen them, got up and walked towards them to greet them.

Harry was happy to get the chance to talk to him again; he hadn't seen him very often during the last two weeks. "Did you have that training again?" he wanted to know.

"As you can guess", Sirius replied. He was dressed in his dark blue swimming shorts, and he was still dripping and covered in sand all over - he'd had a good time, as it seemed -, yet he looked somehow tired. "We had boggarts today."

You must've been having good fun", Ron supposed. Somehow, he envied Sirius a bit for being a real hero in the eyes of everyone now, and he would have loved to come along with him; Harry could tell it easlily from his expression.

"That's what you think", Sirius said. "They were more than twenty, and we were only three, and Voldemort with Nagini - his pet snake, you know - somewhere around, but only watching." He smiled grimly. "The best way to lose your nerves. You hardly ever find many boggarts together, but when you do, they're really scary. They don't assume all the same shape, they vary. At once you find yourself surrounded by a collection of your greatest fears. You'd never believe there are so many."

"I can't believe it", Ron said, shuddering. Harry guessed he was thinking about twenty different spiders approaching him, clicking their pincers in wild greed. Also for him, this was far from pleasant.

"But you could do it, could you?" Hermione asked awkwardly.

"We could, yes. The Heavens be thanked for Remus. But it was hard." With his thumb Sirius pointed over his shoulder, where his comrades seemed to have a rather heated discussion. "You'd never dream of what's in that fellow. They were rounding up on us, Dementors, Banshees, full moons, vampires, some figures representing Voldemort and stuff like that. We got worn out pretty soon, and we were running out of ideas for the Riddikulus Charm. And there came that great spider, covered in black, slimy fur, with eyes like dinner plates and loads of pincers like the matching forks and knifes. Disgusting, Ron, you're right. But that wasn't all. It opened up a maw like an abyss, dunno what else you might compare it with, and out of it slipped a bloody, slimy corpse, halfway through decay, completely unrecognizeable, but still it stretched out a rotten hand as if asking for help while feebly struggling against the grip of the monster's jaws. I still see those skeletal fingers reaching out to touch me, a piece of torn flesh dangling from it uselessly..." He violently shook his head, as if trying to shake off the memory. "I couldn't stand it any longer, especially when one of the disfigured body's yellowish, swollen eyeballs rolled out and stopped right in front of my feet." Ron uttered a sound of disgust while Harry and Hermione just stared at Sirius in horror. "I backed away, and I believe I even screamed, but Remus, that brave little chap, guess what he did? He performed the charm and let the monster choke on its own prey." He threw back his head, laughing, but it was a mirthless kind of laughter. "He gave us back our courage, just like that."

"So that's your training?" Ron asked with a faint voice. "But that's terrible!"

Sirius simply shrugged. "I never denied it. We must be prepared for everything. Must we, pals?" he shouted back over his shoulder.

"What?" Remus called back.

"Forget it!" Sirius answered. Nonetheless, what the three friends had dreaded happened: Remus got up, stretched and sauntered over to them, followed by a rather sceptical-looking Severus. Harry could see that Severus wore a bandage around his naked left forearm, and he had a pretty good idea of what he was hiding. "What was that?" Remus wanted to know after nodding towards Harry, Ron and Hermione with a smile.

"Just said we must be prepared for everything."

"You're not giving away anything, are you?" Severus wanted to know, his dark eyes fixed upon Harry.

But Sirius only laughed. "C'mon off it, Sev, what should I be telling them? Nothing concerning you, at least."

"Would you like to play Quidditch with us, Sirius?" Harry quickly asked.

"Of course", Sirius said. "Minerva told me you're going to. Mind if I take my buddies along? Both in the teachers' team - should have been a bit of a surprise, though."

"So you _are_ giving away stuff", Severus commented, frowning.

"They'd have found out anyway", Sirius meant.


	5. The Seekers' Duel

Later this afternoon, many of the students met on the pitch to play Quidditch. Some arrived in teams, some alone, some only to watch. Harry came together with Ron and Hermione. He would play in the Gryffindor House Team, as usual. The three friends watched how the Ravenclaw House Team (or at least those of it who where present) flattened a team consisting of Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and three others in about ten minutes, then how the team of Hufflepuff lost against the teachers' team. This teachers' team was better than Harry had expected; Madame Hooch, Professor McGonagall and a rather wind-beaten Remus played Chaser, Professor Sinistra Keeper, Sirius and Severus were a team of dangerously powerful Beaters, and tiny Professor Flitwick played Seeker for them. Dumbledore himself refereed this match, but they all played quite fair (except Sirius, who accidently knocked Cedric Diggory unconscious with his club), so there were hardly any penalties. Hufflepuff lost 30:200. Cedric woke just in time to see Flitwick wave his fist clutching the Snitch triumphantly.

Then, after a short break in which two first-years' teams competed against each other, it was the Gryffindor Team's turn with playing against the adults. The twins promised each other: "We'll beat Snape!", both weighing their clubs in their hands. Oliver Wood, now a reserve player for Puddlemere United already, told them not to falter when meeting a teacher just in order not to get bad marks. ("Very funny!" said Alicia Spinnet. "We're still at school. You're not.") Then they entered the pitch.

"Here they come!" the twins' friend Lee Jordan (again being commentator) shouted. "The glorious team of Gryffindor! I give you Wood! Johnson! Bell! Spinnet! Weasley! Weasley! Aaand - Potter!" The audience applauded as Lee announced them just as he had heard from Ludo Bagman at the World Cup. To make it easier to know who played which position, Lee always started with the Keeper, let the Chasers follow, then the Beater, and in the end (as it should be) the Seeker. "And here their successful opponents - until now! I give you Sinistra! McGonagall! Flitwick! ("What?" one of the twins hissed. "Why now?") Hooch! Black! Lupin! ("Lost his senses", the other twin - it seemed to be Fred - commented.) Aaand - Snape!"

Harry was the first to understand. "No! This can't be! He's playing Seeker!" he gasped. "I can't play Seeker against him!"

"Of course you can!" Oliver said. "You're simply the best!"

"Thanks, Oliver, but just try to imagine what dirty tricks he might use!" Harry looked over towards the other end of the pitch, where Severus was circling the goalposts on his Nimbus 1700 together with Professors Flitwick and McGonagall. A Nimbus 1700 against a Firebolt... "Alright, I'll do it", he said.

There wasn't much more time for talking. Shrilly the whistle rang over the pitch. The team captains, Oliver and Professor McGonagall, shook hands, then mounted their brooms again. A second piercing blast, and Cedric Diggory released the balls. Alicia could barely duck as a Bludger soared towards her, missing her only by inches. "Gryffindor in possession!" Lee's voice boomed over the pitch. "Bell! Johnson! Bell again! Oh no, the Quaffle is intercepted by Hooch! They're starting their counterstrike! It's still Hooch, swerving over the pitch with incredulous speed! She recently acquired a Nimbus 2001 instead of her old Tinderblast - or was it a Comet? Who cares! The Quaffle passes on to Flitwick - he's getting ready to throw it - Wood saved! Bravo, Oliver! Gryffindor in possession again -"

Harry wasn't really listening. While circling the pitch in search of the Golden Snitch, he was carefully watching Severus, and it seemed to him Severus was doing just the same. But he kept at some distance from Harry, on a search of his own, unlike Draco Malfoy, who always trailed Harry like a faithful dog.

"There she goes!" an enthusiastic Lee shouted. "Three cheers for Spinnet! Watch it, Alicia, Black's Bludgers are hard -" He groaned as Alicia was hit on the shoulder violently by a Bludger Sirius had aimed on her. "Foul!" he shouted. "Foul!" it echoed from the stands. But Dumbledore had already blown his whistle, and Alicia was ready for taking the penalty.

"See how she flies! There comes Sinistra to meet her! And she gets past her! Fantastic! SHE SCORES! 10:0 for Gryffindor!" There was applause from the audience, and Harry mentally congratulated Alicia.

"The teachers attacking again! Flitwick, Flitwick, on to Hooch - Well aimed, George, but it missed! Teachers still in possession - no, intercepted by Johnson - Hooch conquers it back, heading for the goalposts! Careful, Oliver!" Oliver prepared for a dive at her, but she dodged him easily - "The teachers score! 10:10! This is going to be a really exciting game!"

So it seemed to Harry on his Firebolt. Severus now started to circle him and distract him. It was difficult to concentrate with his Potions master close beside him, bearing a rather grim look.

During the next quarter of an hour, the teachers scored once and the Gryffindor team three times, changing the score to 40:20. "Catch the Snitch! Catch the Snitch!" the twins kept hissing at Harry whenever he came close to them. "I haven't seen it yet", always was Harry's answer.

Just as the twins really began to get on his nerves, he suddenly saw a glitter of gold close to the ground. Severus was dangerously close to it, but he was scanning the ground on the other side. Harry knew he had to hurry now. Urging his broom forward violently, he dived to the ground, past Severus, who realized too late what was happening. He didn't even waste time for rotating his broom into the right direction; with a spectacular kind of backward somersault he raced towards the crowd, knocking the Firebolt's tail aside. Harry tried hard to regain his balance as the Nimbus 1700 hit him. Nonetheless he was pushed about three feet away from the Snitch. He stretched out his hand, groping for it, but Severus roughly brushed it aside, without holding on to the handle of his broom anymore grabbed it by one of its tiny wings - and lost it again. It went soaring straight towards the stands and pivoted back from the lowest rail.

"Oh dear, the Snitch doesn't want to be caught", Lee commented. "Potter coming after it - WATCH OUT!" Just in time Harry could press himself down to the Firebolt's handle as one of Remus's bludgers streaked past him. "Lupin is doing his job quite well", he could hear Lee say. "Gryffindor in possession, by the way, Katie Bell of Gryffindor - oh no, she drops the Quaffle! Hooch gets it! On to Flitwick! In the meantime the hunt for the Snitch continues..."

Hunt was a much to mild expression; Harry would rather have called it a fight. Both Seekers were racing after the Snitch, close behind it. Harry thought he had it, but the next moment a Bludger aimed at him, by Sirius this time, whooshed past and he nearly collided with Severus. Desperately he tried to regain his balance. Seeing his chance, Severus urged his Nimbus 1700 forward, accelerated as he dived for the tiny golden ball - and then saw the Bludger George had smashed in his direction. It was too late to pull off. With an acrobatic skill Harry would have never thought he possessed he swung down under his broomstick and came up on the other side again, but the broom was completely out of balance, and spinning wildly he crashed into the wall beneath the front row.

"Uh-oh", Lee said. "Snape just hit the wall! McGonagall and Hooch calling for a timeout; we'll see what the referee says. What does he say?"

But Dumbledore didn't need to decide about that. Severus was already back in the air again. Harry could see a trickle of blood running down his temple as the wind brushed back his greasy black hair, but else he seemed to be in a good condition, though it wasn't difficult to tell from his expression he was in pain.

Sirius flew over to him, and the wind carried his words over to Harry: "You okay, Sev? Watch where you're going, or else you'll end up as a spot on a wall some day."

Harry was sure they would start quarrelling now, but Dumbledore blew his whistle and the game continued.

And the Snitch was out of sight again.

"There goes McGonagall on her Shooting Star", Lee told the spectators through his big megaphone. "No, it's Snape's, actually, she only borrowed it from him. Dirty thing to do, giving a lady a Shooting Star, especially because everybody knows a Shooting Star might well lose height and speed and not be very reliable when getting older. In my opinion, he should have-"

But right then McGonagall herself came soaring towards him. "I ASKED HIM FOR THAT SHOOTING STAR!" she shouted. "YOU GO ON COMMENTING THE GAME, NOT WHICH BROOMSTICK BELONGS TO WHO!"

"Sorry, Professor", Lee hastily said. "Teachers in possession, Hooch heading for the goal! Passes on to Flitwick, Flitwick back to Hooch - and she scores! What a goal! 40:30 for Gryffindor! Come on, you'll make it!"

With disappointment, Harry noticed how quickly Severus recovered. He was soaring over the pitch again and looking for the Snitch, which had escaped him.

"Bell narrowly avoiding a crash with Lupin, drops the Quaffle - and Johnson has it! Fantastic, Angelina! Johnson to Spinnet, Spinnet to Bell, back to Spinnet! Intercepted by Hooch! Hooch to McGonagall! Nice work, Fred, but a miss! Hey, what's that? Black attacking Bell? Foul, Professor Dumbledore!"

Sirius had swerved around Katie so closely she had nearly fallen off her broom. The shrill blast of Dumbledore's whistle rang out, and Katie shot for the goalposts with the Quaffle. Again Professor Sinistra was a little bit too slow, and Katie was able to score another goal for Gryffindor.

"50:30 for Gryffindor!" Lee shouted. "Hurray for Gryffindor!" There was much applause from the stands.

And just then, Severus went into a spectacular dive. Immediately Harry pulled his broomstick around and raced after him, down to the ground, but Severus shot upwards again in the very last second, now heading steadily for the other end of the pitch. It had only been a Wronski Feint. And now he was obviously trying to bluff again.

But what was that? A golden glitter up ahead, nearly invisible against the sun...

Harry kicked his broom forward hard. He had to be there first! The wind whipped at him as he soared after Severus, coming closer, ever closer, only a broomstick's length away now, only a half, side to side with his opponent. He reached out for the Snitch blinking alluringly over him while Severus's shoulder hit his so hard he nearly fell off his Firebolt. Already he felt the cool metal of the Snitch in his finger, the tiny, fluttering wings -

Strong, clawlike fingers slipped under his, tearing the Snitch from his grasp. Lee's frustrated howl filled the stadium, and with him howled many of the students. "THAT'S UNFAIR! POTTER HAD IT FIRST!" Lee roared. "TELL SNAPE HE'S CHEATING, PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE!"

Three sharp blasts made the noise die down rather quickly. "I should say now 180:50 for the teachers", Dumbledore slowly said. "As you see, Mr Jordan, Professor Snape does have the Snitch. But", he continued before Lee could protest, "to me it really looked like a little fight. Severus, come and tell me who had the Snitch first. You too, Mr Potter."

"I had it, headmaster", Severus answered with a malevolent sideward glance at Harry. "Potter touched it before me maybe, but I had my fingers under his, so it was I who caught it." He held out his clenched fist. Between his fingers, the small wings beat the air uselessly.

Harry wasn't really sure what to say. "I nearly had it, but he took it from me."

"Nearly having it doesn't count, Potter", Severus said coldly, a rather evil grin spreading on his face. "Maybe you should be simply faster the next time."

"That's enough", Dumbledore said strictly. "No sneering, Severus. He really was very close to catch it. Did you hurt him?"

"Headmaster, I was faster, that's all. I didn't hit him or pinch him or scratch him or anything like that."

"Please show me your hand, Mr Potter", demanded Dumbledore calmly.

Harry held it out for him. Only now he noticed the three thin red lines on his palm. "I'm sorry, Severus, but this really looks like your fingernails", the old wizard said.

"I certainly didn't do it on purpose. It doesn't look like it hurts, though." Severus's cold black eyes were fixed on Harry's hand as if he were about to tear it off. "Things like that just happen to a Quidditch player. Does it hurt you so much, Potter? That little -"

"Severus!" Dumbledore said sternly. "It really looked quite brutal to me. We should count it as a foul."

"Of what use should a penalty be now, sir?" Severus called out. "It was I who caught the Snitch, anyway."

"No", Dumbledore told the assembled players. "Of course I wasn't talking about that. Owing to the fact that you were rather rough with the boy, Severus, and that you are the much more experienced flyer, we'll let the two teams share the points."

"WHAT?" Severus nearly howled, wiping the blood from his face. "You really mean to take away -"

"Silence!" Dumbledore commanded, his eyes ablaze. "_I_ have to decide on this matter, my young friend. There are 150 points to share. Let's say, Gryffindor get 70, the other team 80. So much for crashing into a smaller player and scratch his hand. And that means, Mr Jordan?"

Lee understood immediately. "120:110 FOR GRYFFINDOR!" he yelled. "GRYFFINDOR WIN!"

The stands erupted in cheers, while a certain Seeker's face looked like he was quite capable of murder. Luckily Professor McGonagall took him by the shoulder and whispered something to him, which seemed to calm him a bit. He even allowed her and Remus to lead him off to the changing rooms.

"Superb!" Ron told Harry as soon as he had arrived back in the stands at his friends' places. "Too bad you haven't got much of a chance of doing things like that at school."

"This was enough for me", Harry sighed, but it was a very contented sigh.


	6. Departure

The next day already, the Duellists departed. Where they really went to none of the students could say for sure, but Harry guessed that they had to spy out their mysterious enemies. This was all he could make of Sirius's hints. He didn't even have the time to try and ask any further questions because he, like every other student, heard of the Duellists' departure only two or three minutes before they Disapparated. In addition, he felt the little pain in his scar again just then, and when he said good-bye to Sirius and Remus, he was too busy with marvelling at their uniforms, seeing them from near for the first time, that he didn't really understand what was happening. When he finally wanted to ask, it was too late. He could only hope Sirius and Remus would return safely.

Yet he couldn't think about them for too long. There was much and difficult work to do for the Marauders.

But when the three friends sat together late this evening, they were not too tired to discuss what the Duellists might be up to.

"They're spying out what those Shudderstone people are doing, for sure", Harry said.

"Right", Ron agreed. "But what then? And what should they find out?"

"There are a lot of things you might like to know about your enemies", Hermione commented, as if this was only too obvious.

"I'd like to accompany them", Ron went on dreamily, ignoring her. "Well, not Snape, but the other two. I should have gone instead of him. I'm sure Remus and Sirius would prefer me."

"I wouldn't be too sure", Hermione snorted.

Ron decided not to talk to her for the next five minutes.


	7. In the Morning

As Sirius saw the sky was getting light in the East, he poked his two comrades in the ribs. "Up you get, boys!" he told them cheerfully. "And have a nice second day in that wilderness!"

"That's the spirit", Remus yawned, crawling out of his blankets. "Where do I get my breakfast egg, toast and tea?"

"No egg and toast, sorry, but I think you can have some tea", Sirius answered amusedly. "And then we'll continue sneaking up to that fortress or whatever it is. Pity we don't know its exact position. I'd really prefer Apparating."

"Damn that fortress!" Severus agreed. "I swear I'll do something dreadful to it as soon as we get there."

They washed themselves at a small pond nearby, then had their breakfast. There wasn't much choice for them; they only had bread, cheese, dried fruit and water with them, but at least for Sirius this was much more than he was used to. Then they packed their things and prepared to depart.

"Where are we going?" Remus asked, scanning the forest uncertainly.

_North, a voice somewhere inside their minds whispered. _Straight north_._

"If you think so", Sirius muttered to himself.

_I do_.


	8. The Creature

The ground was getting steeper, and often they crossed sections of bare rock. But still the forest was deep and gloomy. When they occasionally passed a clearing, they were surprised to feel how much the sudden full sunlight blinded them, and soon they started to avoid those places. It was an eerie and mirthless location.

"I really don't like it here", Remus said as midday was drawing near. "It feels just odd, somehow. Really weird."

"I'm so sick of it all", Sirius stated behind him. "I don't trust these trees. And I'm sure they shelter something even more nasty. Just listen. I've seen many forests recently, and that silence just can't be natural."

Severus, who was last in their line, turned around and scanned their surroundings suspiciously, "Weird, that's right, but I think you're imagining things, Black", he finally said. "Two years on the run certainly makes you paranoid."

"Oh, shut up, Greasehead!" Sirius shot back. "I simply have some experience with forests and all that stuff."

"Then maybe the Dementors affected your mind nonetheless."

Sirius was just about to tell Severus something really rude when he was suddenly knocked off his feet as a big, furry creature collided with him. Remus threw himself at it, grabbed it and pulled it off with some difficulty, although he felt a slight touch of indistinctive fear as he touched it.

It was the ugliest dog he had ever seen. Its somewhat colourless fur was thick and knotty, it was extremely thin and had unproportionally long legs, its paws looked much like a camel's and its tail was much too thin, short and twisted to really look like a dog's and not a pig's. But the worst thing about it was its overlarge head, with its bulging eyes gaping at Remus in pure hatred, partially broken teeth and heavy jaw all wet with slaver. Around its neck was a rather thin leather cord with a small bundle dangling from it.

"Oh man, what's that?" Sirius gasped. "I've never seen anything looking alike." He bore a slightly frightened expression, and his eyes darted from tree to tree to see if there were some more of these monsters near.

"Neither have I", Remus breathed, still holding the creature down.

"Hey!" Severus said, kneeling down beside him. "That's interesting." He started fingering the bundle. The creature didn't like that; it howled and fidgeted and tried to bite its captors, but Sirius now also held it while Severus produced a very small piece of parchment. "Look what that big ugly bloke's been carrying around", he told the others. "Might be fascinating." Quickly he unfolded it and read aloud: "To Witch Shudderstone the Great. They are coming. Three warriors in black. Take care. Your faithful servant Sue." He looked at the others. "Sounds like that Sue's spying on us, doesn't it?"

"Sounds like we're being expected", Sirius said. "But sending that beast certainly was a bad move."

"I do hope it was. Shall we let it go?" Remus gave a little yelp of pain as the ugly creature dug its paw into his stomach. "I don't want to keep it any longer."

"Maybe we should kill it", Severus suggested. "Shame a thing like _that _ever_ survived its first year."_

"But its disappearance might arouse suspicions", Remus pointed out. "Let's write another message and then kick that monster's backside and let it run, what about that?"

"Dear Shudderstone the Great, I'm really sorry, but I'm not working for you anymore. Your once faithful servant Sue", suggested Sirius, grinning.

"Alright, let's do it!" Remus meant.

But they never were able to. Right then, the thing that should be resembling a dog jerked violently, got hold of Remus's wrist and hacked its broken teeth into it. "Aargh!" the light-haired Duellist gargled, struggling to get free, while Sirius tried to tear apart the beast's slavering jaws. But only when Severus started to kick its side with his heavy dragon-hide boots it let go of Remus and look for a way to escape. Remus threw himself at it again, but this time the ugly animal jumped into him with all its power and sent him sprawling, and before the two others could stop it it dashed deeper into the forest and disappeared.

Muttering a curse, Remus tried to get up again, but he soon found his left leg wouldn't carry him. "What now?" he finally said, leaning onto Sirius's shoulder exhaustedly.

"We can't carry you", sighed Sirius. "To hell with that creature!"

Remus forced a brave smile. "I'll have to walk then."

_No, Remus. Come back. Return to the others. You can't go on. Come back, Remus._

"Sure I can't?" Remus asked out loud. His comrades seemed to stiffen a tiny little bit and to listen intently.

_Sure, Remus. Quite sure._

The wounded Duellist sighed heavily. "Right. I'm going, then. Boys - good luck. I'll be back as soon as I can, trust me." He greeted them with their casual salute, then he Disapparated.

Sirius and Severus looked at each other. "Only two of us left now", Sirius commented sarcastically. "Just imagine that Sue person's next letter. What is she going to write, eh?"

"One down, two more to go", Severus answered darkly. "But they shall have a hard time with us."

Sirius nodded grimly. "We're Duellists. No surrender."

"No surrender."

_And don't forget me._

"It's hard to forget _you, hissing voice", Sirius murmured as he took up his backpack once more. "Believe me."_


	9. Remus's Return

Having Remus back was a rather pleasant surprise for Harry and his friends, but on the other hand, they worried about Sirius. Remus had told them everything about their journey, and of course they had immediately started discussing it. (Ron hadn't spoken to Harry nor to Hermione for fifteen minutes after it.) Finally they had come to the conclusion that Sirius was about to face something incredibly dangerous.

Remus seemed rather relaxed, but Harry wasn't too sure about him being so calm. He knew just as much as the students concerning whom they were really dealing with! And what did the students know?

"You know", he said as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dean and Seamus came to visit him, "Sirius is not all on his own. There's still Severus those Shudderstone folks have to reckon with."

Neville shuddered, and Ron said: "C'mon, you can't be expecting he'll help Sirius at all! You know how much he hates him!"

"He hates every Gryffindor!" Seamus agreed. "You should see him in our Potions classes!"

But Remus shook his head. "I fear you don't know him well enough."

"We do! We do!" Dean put in.

Remus didn't seem convinced, though. "See, if you're in a really dangerous situation, let's say cornered by Dementors or even trapped by an acromantula ready to devour you in one great gulp, guess who'd always cover your back? Guess who'd hack you out with his pocket knife if there's no other weapon near? Though I completely agree with you", he added with a slightly roguish smile, "concerning the way he treats his students. A born tyrant, just like his father." He shrugged, still smiling. "Well, his father's more than that, his father's a madman."

"You know his father, then?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Not too well. We've met several times. He gave me quite a fright when I was still a boy." Remus shifted a bit on his couch to sit more comfortably. Obviously he was enjoying the luxury of his forced holiday. Who wouldn't, Harry thought, if he'd get a soft couch with many cushions, a cool drink with big ice cubes in it, Honeyduke's best sweets, interesting books to read, a beach to laze around on on warm afternoons and many friends looking after him, instead of a dark, uncertain voyage through a gloomy, enchanted forest, seeking the stronghold of a dreaded enemy?

"I'd like to play Quidditch, actually", Remus said after he had sipped some more of his cool drink. "I feel definitely better already, and on a broomstick, you needn't use your legs."

"So why don't you play with us?" Ron offered eagerly.

Remus's expression shifted into a twisted smile. "Madam Pomfrey won't let me. Maybe tomorrow, but I fear I'll have to be off again as soon as I'm cured. Can't let my comrades run around out there all on their own, can I?" Helping himself to some Chocolate Frogs, he went on: "They'd really envy me if they could see me now. Who wants some chocolate?"

Immediately, many hands were raised.

"I never saw you as eager when you were still my students", the young Duellist commented as he handed out Chocolate Frogs to all of them.

"_I_ certainly was", Hermione said slightly indignantly.


	10. Memories

In the meantime, Remus's two comrades struggled on and on through the now really thick undergrowth. They hardly talked, only if they had to, and then they kept their voices low. The cracking and snapping of twigs and branches and rustling of leaves as they passed by was loud enough to their ears.

When the light began to get dim, they started looking for a place were they could spend the night. As the semi-darkness surrounding them grew deeper rapidly, they had to hurry. Finally they found something close to a cave at the side of a big boulder-stone. They huddled against the rock, wrapping their knee-length uniform robes close around themselves.

"I'd really like to make a fire now", Sirius suggested. "What about that?"

"I don't think so. There's nothing for dinner we could cook, anyway." Severus, chewing on a piece of dry bread, unrolled his blanket. "Get ready to sleep. First watch's mine."

"Mine!" Sirius protested. "You're having the first watch all the time! I know you'll wake me much too early."

"That's what you'd do!" Severus shot back at him. "I'm really tired, see, and I want that watch thing to be over as soon as possible and then sleep until dawn."

"That proves it even more", Sirius protested. "Alright, take it, but if you dare to wake me up just five minutes too early, I'll tear your head off." And with that he crawled under his blanket, accompanied by a hastily self-made cheese sandwich.

"Do what you like", Severus said absent-mindedly, fingering something he had taken out of one of the pockets of the part of his utility belt leading across his chest, from his right shoulder to the left side of the actual belt.

"What's that, Sevyboy?" Sirius asked with interest. "A cigarette? I thought you were a non-smoker?"

"I really am", Severus growled, angered at being addressed like that. "That's not a cigarette, fool." Nonetheless he lit it up and stuck it into his mouth.

Sirius grinned. "It does look like a joint, you know. You're on marihuana?"

Severus sighed, obviously bothered. "You ever heard Mandrake leaves keep you awake when you have to stay up? Best thing to use in such a situation, believe me." He sent from his lips a thin stream of smoke. "We experimented with it at school already, remember?"

"Oh yes, you're right!" Sirius laughed cheerfully. "We met behind the greenhouses. Remember the stuff we used to hover over the ground? And how Lestrange fell from the greenhouse roof!"

"Like it's been only yesterday. Lestrange, yeah. And Rosier, that big ape. Couldn't get enough of the stuff. I guess he'd be a heavy smoker now, if not for Moody."

Sirius grinned. "And that Hufflepuff loony, that Manson. Remember his N.E.W.T.s, by the way?"

"Horrible, simply horrible, man. Remember how Avery called Filch a muckraker?"

"Remember how James, Remus and I accidentally felled one of the Christmas trees in the Great Hall?"

"Remember how I accidentally splattered your feet with Swelling Solution in our second year in Potions?"

Now they both had to laugh. "I think we'll be buddies for this task, shall we?" Sirius suggested. "Just remember I don't like you when we're back to normal again."

"We'll have a fight as soon as we return", Severus agreed grimly. "Amnesty until then."

As Sirius wrapped his blanket around him, he thought that he maybe wouldn't miss Remus as much as he had feared he might.


	11. The Way to the Fortress

Sirius woke because somebody was shaking him. "Fallen asleep, Black?" Severus said over him. "You were supposed to have the watch, if I remember that right."

"You do", Sirius yawned. "I should smoke Mandrake leaves the next time maybe." He sat up and shook off his blanket. In the East the first reddish beams of the sun were creeping over the dark line of the horizon and found their way down to the very ground of the gloomy forest - though much diminished. High time to get up!

Soon the two Duellists went on again. Neither of them had slept much, and they were weary and wished for some more rest. Yet a bodyless voice somewhere in the back of their heads urged them onward. They were definitely climbing through the foothills of some mountain range now; the ground was steep and rocky. Still the woods wouldn't fail as far as they could see, and the trees became darker and higher the further they went.

After about two hours they came upon a pillar placed on a sheer rock tooth, bearing a carven hand, whose forefinger was pointing ahead. Beneath it they found rough runes cut into the stone. They both knelt down to examine the writing more closely, but Sirius found that he didn't know the script. "I've never seen anything like that", he told his comrade. "Neither with the merpeople nor with the goblins. What about you? Didn't you have Ancient Runes at school?"

"Actually yes", Severus replied without looking up, "but these ones are different. Some now half forgotten signs Dark Wizards used a thousand years ago."

"But then you're just the man for that stuff!" Sirius cried triumphantly. "Aren't you a Darksider?"

"I think I know most of them", Severus said thoughtfully, more to himself than to his former classmate. "My father used to teach me such things when I was very young still. I only hope I can remember them all." He frowned down at the writing. "That's a T, an H, an I... I've got it, it says THIS... THIS WAY, I think... Man, what's that, that forked broom or whatever? Z, I think..."

_No, my friend. You amuse me. It's an L._

"You could have told me before", Severus growled. "Why don't _you_ read it?"

_Go on, I'll help you._

"I'm highly honoured", Severus muttered. "THIS WAY LEADS... LEADS TO... To hell, if it chooses to! If I could just remember all that stuff! TO THE... FORTRESS... Hey, that's good, I like the sound of that!"

"You mean they put up a hint for us?" Sirius asked. "Don't you think that it might be a trap?"

"We'll see about that", Severus told him grimly. "But we're going to have a nice showdown for sure."

"I do like your kind of humour", Sirius said sarcastically.

After several minutes and with a bit of help from the mysterious voice Severus was finally able to decipher the inscription: THIS WAY LEADS TO THE FORTRESS OF THE HOUSE OF SHUDDERSTONE, MOST WORTHY OF ADORATION OF ALL. DO NOT CHOOSE THIS WAY. YOU ARE UNWANTED. WE HAVE SECRETS TO KEEP. LEAVE US ALONE, OR WE WILL BE VERY ANGRY AT YOU INDEED.

"Doesn't sound too scary, if you ask me", Sirius meant. "And what's that talk about secrets? Do they think we're interested in their love letters and underwear or what?"

"Nobody asked you. Sucks to their secrets."

"Sucks to you as well. Have you ever heard of any House of Shudderstone? Sounds like they're an old family."

Severus shook his head. "Never. I know the House of Redmoon and the House of Hyrne and the House of Sawdust - sorry, it's Sorgast - and the House of McDarren and the House of Malfoy - at least that Lucius Malfoy believes so, sucks to him just as to you - and the House of - Just forget it, there are so many. Yes, and the House of Snape, of course. Very old family." He grinned up at his comrade. "Notorious troublemakers throughout the History of the Magical World."

"Your sires would be very proud of you indeed, noble heir of a noble house", Sirius said mockingly. "There are many old clans, you're right. But this one - D'you think it actually exists?"

Severus shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. All we can do about it is to go on and see what awaits us."

"Go and find out some nasty little secrets, yes. And your showdown. I just hope for you we'll find that as well. Something worth for Prince Sevy, the brave knight of the House of Snape, eh?"

"Oh, shut up, you common lout."


	12. The Duellists' Commander

As Remus entered the room, it immediately occurred to him he wouldn't have dared to do so in any other situation than theirs. Smiling to himself, he limped over to the darkest corner of his host's private sanctum. Nothing to be afraid of. Still, he could feel his heart pounding heavily in his chest.

"Do come closer, Remus Lupin", a cold, silky voice spoke up from out of the shadows. "And sit down."

Silently Remus glided into an armchair positioned in front of the now cold fireplace and turned it so that it faced the dark corner. His eyes were growing accustomed to the darkness rapidly - as a werewolf's, more rapidly than anyone else's - and already he could make out the clear outlines of a person cowering on the ground, bent over something with his back half turned to him. Now the man straightened up, and as he took his hand from the small crystal orb, it at once cast a faint greenish light on him. His age was difficult to tell, also in full daylight, but Remus knew the man looked much younger than he actually was. Now his eyes were narrowed to thin slits, his brow was wrinkled as in worry or distress, and there was an unusual air of exhaustion about him, but nonetheless he seemed quite handsome. He was wrapped in a heavy black cloak, but had thrown back the hood.

"So here you are", he said finally. "Welcome. How is your leg?"

"Much better, thank you", Remus answered. "But I'm sure you wanted to see me for some other reason?"

From the shadows came a chuckle, and the cloaked man didn't seem as worried anymore. "You are bold, my friend. This is one of the virtues I value beyond the rest, beyond patience or unselfishness or -", his lips curled into a vicious smile "beyond charity. I want you to remember one thing, Remus, my friend: Stop seeing having mercy as a quality of the wise. Or else you will be betrayed. Never forgive, never forget. And never trust anybody as much as yourself. Always let your mind control your heart, not the other way round. Have you understood, Remus Lupin, my faithful warrior?"

Remus nodded silently. It was of no use mentioning he disagreed somewhat.

"Very well. As you maybe know already, the Marauders are about to move. The storm is about to begin, the blow will fall. Will you stay behind with me as long as your leg is still troubling you? You wouldn't be the only one."

Strange he asks, Remus thought. Strange indeed. I wouldn't have expected that. Aloud, he said: "I'm staying if Dumbledore does."

The sinister man's face remained completely unmoved. "He does. Can I take this as a yes?"

"In this case, you can definitely."

Something close to a real smile spread on the man's overshadowed face. "I knew you wouldn't forsake me."

"I wouldn't", was the only answer Remus could think of.

With satisfaction, his host gestured him closer. "Come, my friend, and join me. I have to discuss a few things with you."

Strangely, Remus didn't even miss the usual feeling of fright as he rose and stepped deeper into the darkness.


	13. McGonagall's Mission

"Where are we going, Professor?" Hermione asked her Head of House.

Minerva McGonagall, though very busy with stowing things in several bags, smiled down at her. "Not too far - at least at first. It's going to be a march of about four to five hours. Then we'll build a camp - I hope you all know now how to do it quickly - and await the headmaster's further orders. We won't be in real danger." She stepped over to her desk and picked up several sheets of parchments. "Do kindly carry these orders to Squad Four of Penelope Clearwater, Squad Seven of Marcus Flint, Squad Eleven of Daniel Morgan and Squad Twelve of Tiberius Ashley and inform them that I'd like them to report back within half an hour. They are to follow us in order of their number. Can you do this for me?"

"Of course, Professor", Hermione said before she dashed off.


	14. The Shudderstones

"Shh - have you heard that?" Sirius hissed suddenly.

"What?" Severus hissed back, coming to an abrupt halt.

"Those voices!" Sirius took his comrade by the sleeve and pulled him into the thickets. And not one second too early: Around a bend appeared three figures, two males, one female, and came striding towards them. Again Sirius had a feeling of indistinctive fear, the same as he had felt when fighting the ugly dog.

"We're in serious trouble now, dear friends, believe me!" a small, rather plump man squealed, gesturing wildly. "We don't know what Sue wanted to tell us! Oh no, we'll be infiltrated by them! My God, what will the Lady say? My God, Emmy, just imagine! It's awful, simply awful!"

"Now be quiet, Johnny, will you?" the woman obviously called Emmy interrupted his lamentations. She, too, was rather short, but thin, and wore her dark hair in a slightly lopsided ponytail. Her dress seemed to be made of a bedsheet and reminded Sirius strongly of a house elf's. "They can't be many. We are more powerful. And we are many more."

"Not many!" the little man wailed. "And they are strong warriors! Please, please, have mercy on me!"

"Imagine what the Lady would say to your behaviour now!" the last of the three said coldly. He was a tall, lean, evil-looking man with filthy black hair, a badly scarred face, a wooden leg and one eye missing. "Anonymous is going to report you. So Anonymous will. Watch your tongue, Little Johnny. Do watch your tongue, Little Johnny. Anonymous is going to report you to the Lady and to Great Witch Shudderstone."

"Our gracious Queen Shudderstone will not be disturbed now, Anonymous", Emmy told him firmly. "But you should really be quiet now, Little Johnny."

"Heard that?" Sirius whispered into Severus's ear. "Here we are! Urgh, what's that smell?"

At this moment a hot wind started blowing, accompanied by a somewhat sweetish, foul stench. Through the air a woman in a witch's robes and hat came riding, waving a heavy wand topped with a silver star. "Hooo-eeeee!" she screeched with a voice nearly able to shatter glass. "Talking, are we? Lazy, are we? Heee-yah!" And she landed on the ground next to the others.

"No, no, Lady!" Emmy assured her quickly, bowing deeply.

"Anonymous is never lazy. Indeed never lazy", Anonymous added.

"There are orders!" the Lady announced in her high-pitched, ear-rending voice. "Orders from our Sovereign herself! Anonymous, you put up our marvellous Secret Wall! The Queen of Queens will come to assist you in person. And those so-called Duellists shall be caught alive and kept as slaves. Delicious little foxes! Heeee!" And with a nasty cackle she vanished on another unpleasant-smelling gale. Emmy and Little Johnny ran after her, shouting excitedly and waving their arms, leaving shrewd Anonymous alone on the forest path.

"If I could just get at you, you disgusting Lady Smellstorm!" Sirius muttered. "I'd break your filthy, stinking neck!"

"Quiet!" Severus reminded him. "That weirdo might hear us!" But judging from his expression, he was thinking just the same.

Sirius started fingering his utility belt. "We don't have any stunning weapons with us, have we?" he whispered, trying to keep his voice low. "Shall we simply Stun him the normal way?"

Severus never had the opportunity to answer. At this very moment the dark shape of a tall, cloaked woman appeared out of nowhere with a little _plop, _stretching out her arms. Sirius, who was looking directly at her, felt a sudden, violent wave of blind panic rush through him, so powerful that it made him believe his head was being slowly crushed by a gigantic, cold hand. With a tortured scream he leaped onto the open path and tried to run, but tripped and fell. As he hit the ground, he heard his own cry echo through his mind in immeasureable pain. _AAAAAAAAAAARGGH! NOOOO! No, Sirius! Stay where you are! Stay calm!_

Severus, who had been fumbling his own utility belt until now, slowly lifted his head, ready to fight.

_No, don't! Don't look up! Turn away! DON'T!_

But it was too late. Severus lifted up his head and stared directly at the dark figure in front of him. Again the bodiless voice shrieked in agony, but this time it was redoubled. _Calm down, it's alright! Don't you hear? Nobody __will harm you! STAY CALM! JUST STAY CALM!_

Sirius felt how something started to suck his emotions from him and left an empty space in his mind instead. _Do _you feel it?_ the voice whispered to him. _It's alright, there's nothing to worry about. NO, SEVERUS! YOU OBEY_ __ME! NO, STOP IT!_

Severus, too, had felt how something sucked his thoughts from him, but this had woken a painful memory deep inside him, back in the time when he had still been a boy and his father had forced him into the dungeons of the family castle for stealing a cake from the kitchen.

_Obey me, Severus... Stay where you are... Obey me..._

There seemed to be mists drifting through his mind. He was losing control of himself. Yet being utterly exposed to the will of somebody else, being a helpless slave of another wizard was one of his greatest fears, and he wouldn't let this happen. He fought with all his power, and the voice grew weaker and weaker...

And there was that wave of panic again, rolling over him and trying to squash him like an insect... The dark shape resembling a woman was waving its long arms, the man at her side was laughing in triumph. They would overcome him and make him their slave. The pressure of the feeling of fear beyond enduring grew stronger, began to strangle him like a fiery web. Desperately he sprang forward, his wand raised. "No surrender!" he roared. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Out of his wand shot a jet of bright green light, a scream rang out, a sudden powerful gust swept through the forest - and then it was all over, and the two Duellists were alone.

Severus staggered and grabbed hold of a branch right over his head to prevent himself from falling. "Gods!" he groaned. "What have I done?" Only now he had spotted the stiff, motionless body of Anonymous lying before his feet.


	15. Hopeless

Lord Voldemort was breathing hard, resting his head at Remus's chest. From the corner of his mouth dripped a little bit of blood. "I've never - felt - anything - like that", he panted. "Such an - illusion - " He broke off and clutched Remus's shoulders. "I can't stand any more of that sort", he finally was able to say. "You must help me, Remus." He struggled to sit up, but sank back into Remus's arms exhaustedly, shaken by a violent fit of coughing. "I have to speak to Dumbledore", he whispered, his voice so weak it was hardly audible. "He'll know what to do... He'll know..."

As his head sunk against Remus's chest again, the young Duellist at first believed he had fainted, but then he saw that Voldemort's eyes were still open, staring up at the ceiling. "How shall we ever be able to fight them?" he murmured. "Is there any chance left?"


	16. A Promise

"Oh _man_", Sirius gasped, standing up and carefully walking over to the dead body in front of them. "That was quite a curse, Sev."

Slowly, Severus knelt down at Anonymous's side. The warrior's scarred face wore an expression of surprise, but around his mouth there still lingered a hint of a triumphant smile. "You know what that means?" he finally said tonelessly. "I had a trial once before, but then there was Dumbledore to get me out of trouble. This time, there will be nobody at all. I'm going to Azkaban, just like you. Only that I'm not innocent."

"C'mon, Sev, wake up!" Sirius grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him. "We'd better clear off now, after that!"

But Severus didn't seem to have registered anything. "I've been there once before; I know what awaits me... Gods, how could I be so foolish?"

"Oh c'mon, you're not foolish, buddy, you simply overreacted!" Sirius protested. "Get moving now, it's okay!"

Severus really stood up now and stepped away from his dead opponent reluctantly. "There's no chance when you're using the Unforgiveable Curses", he muttered.

"Have you already forgotten acting under the Imperius is the best excuse for stuff like that?" Sirius slapped him on the back. "Cheer up, I'll help you. I promised I'll be your buddy, remember?"

"Too bad I wasn't under the Imperius."

"I'll help you nonetheless, man. Just give me the chance."

Severus eyed him rather unbelievingly. "You would?"

With a sigh Sirius put an arm around his shoulders. "Your buddy will always help you, Sev. Promise."

Though relieved somehow, Severus didn't like the idea of thanking Sirius very much. Yet he never had to. A sudden, loud rumbling could be heard and a tremendously powerful earthquake knocked them both off their feet. Severus was thrown into a gulf suddenly opening beneath him and was drawn through it helplessly. Fighting against this invisible power was of no use. His wand hand, still clutching the device, pressed against his chest, the other arm over his head, he rolled down the crack in the earth - until he came to a sudden stop. A little dizzy, he lay on his back, staring up at the sky, and was glad he wore protectives on knees and elbows. Where was Sirius? He had to call him. His first idea was signaling him through Foe Fire, a sparkling light produced through a special powder, a light only a friend and helper could see, but then it came to his mind that the powder was in his backpack, and that the backpack was still hidden in the thicket the Duellists had used as cover only a few minutes ago. Surpressing a curse, he stood up and climbed out of the crack, furiously brushing the soil from his uniform.

And then he saw her. It was the Lady, or Lady Smellstorm, as Sirius had called her before, and she was standing right in front of him. "So here you are, my clever little fox!" she screeched, pointing one of her long, thin fingers at him. Her round, tanned, face wore an extremely ugly grin. "Wanted to escape, did he? Did he?"

Severus pointed his wand at her, but an invisible hand brushed his arm aside. "Heee! No, no, no, darling!" the Lady shrieked. "No more of that! You're coming along! And you'll be mine now, for I caught you when nobody else dared to, not even Shudderstone the Great herself!"

Severus felt how his wand arm began to hurt. "You let me go!" he spat. "You can't catch a Duellist, bitch!"

"Is that what you call me?" she screamed. "I'll teach you manners, slave!"

"I'll never be a slave!" he bellowed back. "Just try and touch me, and I'll do something to you you won't forget too soon!"

"Oh, really?" Her voice began to hurt his ears. "You'll see what you are, you rascal!" With this, she grabbed him by the collar and clutched his neck, but he was too quick for her. Using his left hand, he reached for his dagger, pulled it from its sheath and plunged it into her side. With a terrible scream she let go off him, and immediately his wand arm came free. "You'll die for that one day", she gargled. "You'll regret it! I'll remember that hangdog look of yours!"

"You can have my name as well, if you please", he sneered. "Severus Snape, Duellist of Slytherin, at your service." And with that, he turned to go.

"But you, you shall know it no more!" she panted behind him, soaking the soft brown soil of the forest with blood. "OBLIVIATE!"

A jet of blinding light hit Severus in the back and hurled him over, down into the crack again. He fought to climb out, but there was a thick cloud of mist obscuring his sight, growing thicker rapidly, wrapping him completely into a soft blanket... Then his body tired, and there was blackness drifting inside his mind.


	17. Lost and Found

"Sev?" Sirius called softly. "Sev? Man, where the hell are you? We're not playing hide-and-seek!" Angrily he kicked a stone out of his way and watched it disappear into a pit. A pit? It hadn't been there seconds ago! "Uh-oh", Sirius muttered as he carefully approached it and looked down.

It wasn't deep, actually, only about five feet, but it led down the slope at the path's side like a slide on a playground and, taking a curve, vanished out of sight some six or seven meters away. There was no sign of Severus.

"Uh-oh", Sirius repeated. This didn't look too good. Determined, he jumped down and examined the ground. At once a faint glitter caught his eye, and as he bent down to have a closer look he found that it was a tiny serpent of silver winding around a wand, something to be worn on a necklace. Sirius recognized it straight away: It was the amulet Severus usually wore on a thin leather cord around his neck, but this cord had been used to repair Sirius's dagger belt during a rest the day before, and Severus had put the amulet into his robe pocket until he could have the cord back. Definitely a lead. Now he knew where to look for his comrade.

_Sirius? Are you alright? Where's Severus? _

Sirius frowned down at the silver snake. "I'm just looking for him", he said softly. "Can't you tell him it'd be nice if he showed up now?"

_He's fought it off. I've lost contact with him. And I can't find him anymore._

"What? You lost contact?" Sirius stopped dead.

_Yes, I have. You must find him now._

"Oh, okay." Sirius pocketed the amulet, sprinted back to their backpacks, hastily took out some Foe Fire powder and threw it into the sky. At once bright lightning bolts flashed over him, clearly indicating the place where he was. He waited, but Severus didn't turn up. He tried a few more times, but nothing happened. "He doesn't react", he finally told the voice inside his mind.

_Try again._

Sirius did so, but again Severus didn't show a sign of himself. What was wrong with him? Now Sirius really started to get concerned. Frantically he searched his backpack for some other device that might be of help now, until he finally came upon a tiny mirror with a golden frame. This was the Brother's Mirror, something Sirius had owned for quite a long time now. It could once be made to show someone dear to its owner, and then always would show what he was doing currently, except it was persuaded to show another person or the certain person died. Back when James Potter, Sirius's best friend, had still been alive, it had always shown James, but now it had been dark for years. Sirius had wanted it to show Remus, but he hadn't had the time to make it do so until now. This moment had yet come, though it would be Severus he would try to see, not Remus.

The only problem was that Sirius actually didn't like Severus at all. They had got on better together than he had expected during the last few days, yet how should he be able to feel a brother's love for this man, as it was required? But he would try nonetheless.

With concentration Sirius stared at the matte glass. He attempted to see Severus back in the time when they both hadn't been older than eleven and not really disliked each other. Maybe the time when they had first met on the school train would be right... _It was already dark outside and they were not far from Hogwarts anymore, when _there suddenly came a shy knock on the compartment door... A small, skinny boy with beady black eyes... "Sorry,_ _I'm lost. Where d'you get some more sweets?" _Sirius couldn't help smiling as he recalled their first meeting._ "My_ _name's Severus, Severus Snape. You won't laugh, will you? All those Muggle children did, said that's not a proper_ __name, you can't be called Severus... Call me Sevy if you want. Everybody calls me so, you know, everybody __except my father... Sirius? That's a fine name! I'd like to be called Sirius , too - as a second name maybe..."_

Slowly the Brother's Mirror became clear and showed a picture of Severus lying on a ground strewn with leaves. At first Sirius feared he was dead, but the mirror wouldn't show a dead man, and besides, the leaves by Severus's head were moving at regular interval, clearly indicating that he was breathing normally. Sirius had found him.


	18. The Dark Mark

"Your arm, Wormtail!" Voldemort hissed. "And hurry!"

Remus watched how Peter Pettigrew pulled back his left sleeve and offered his Dark Mark to Voldemort. The Dark Lord touched it with his forefinger, but he did it carefully and with concentration. This time, he would call only one person. "Wake up, Severus, please wake up!" Remus mouthed. "Go and help Sirius!"


	19. Forgetfulness

He felt a piercing burning somewhere. Slowly he opened his eyes. It took him quite a time to locate it; it was coming from his left forearm. He dropped the thing his right hand had been clutching and hastily removed his leather arm protective. With some amazement he stared at a jet black skull with a snake protruding from its mouth, which had been burnt into his skin. Why did it hurt him? And what did it mean? He didn't know.

And where was he? What was he doing there? He picked up the thing he had just dropped. It was a bloody dagger. Bloody? What had he used it for? Was he in danger maybe?

He decided to ignore the burning in his forearm. Maybe it would stop soon. Instead, he climbed out of the pit he had been lying in and looked around. He was in a rather gloomy forest with thick undergrowth. Only some twenty steps away or even less, a female figure was twitching in pain, with blood oozing from her side. As she saw him, she pointed a long, thin finger at him and croaked: "You? You again? You gangster! Didn't have enough, did you?" And she lifted up a heavy wand lying beside her.

He did some quick thinking. In his hand, there was a bloody dagger. There was blood all over her clothes. She wanted to take revenge. Did this mean he was the one who had stabbed her? But why should he have done that?

Now the wounded woman pointed her wand at him with shaking fingers. "You'll regret it!" she threatened.

There was only one thought in his mind now: _Run for it! And he ran. He didn't look where he was going, he just tried to get as much space between him and his obvious victim. Behind him, trees were shaken by powerful spells, but she couldn't hit him. he tore through the thickets as fast as he could; he didn't care about twigs hitting him and scratching his face. Finally he was so tired he couldn't go on anymore. Still he struggled on, but soon he fell to his hands and knees. Up he got, on he ran, but then the moment came when his legs wouldn't carry him anymore and his mind would think no other thought. He fell over and remained where he was, and the Duellist once called Severus knew no more._


End file.
